Thranduilion
by nithila
Summary: "I will not let my son fraternize with humans!" Thraunduil said. "Then I...I will be your son no longer." Legolas runs away from his Father after an argument - but will he ever see him alive again? A story about Legolas Thranduilion.


This is the first time I am dabbling in fanfic for a book, so I'm a tad bit nervous. For the sake of this story, all the seagulls in Arda have gone mute due to a strange mutation in fish stocks, caused by prolonged exposure to Sauron's shadow. As a result, Legolas' heart is still deeply entangled with his woodland home! Yay!

I decided to write this story because I was feeling sorry for Thranduil, who has to cope with his son being hurt, injured, mutilated, kidnapped, tortured, abused, and tormented (AND killed - sometimes), again, and again, and again. Thranduil deserves a chance to show his son just how terrifying that is.

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"Lego..las," the king whispered.

"_Ada,_ _No!_" Legolas sank to the ground beside his father. The king's eyes were glazed over with pain, and his breathing was shallow and uneven. The prince clasped his _Adar's_ fingers tightly with one hand, his other pressing the makeshift bandages against the king's wound in an effort to staunch the bleeding. "_Adar,_ _Please. _Look at me."

"Le..golas... Forgive me.._tithen pen_..."

"_Ada_ no, please, _please. _Everything will be alright. It will. Faeril will be here in a minute, we just have to wait..."

"_Meleth le, ion nin_...I... am sorry... my words … I love...you... Legolas, _my son._" the king whispered, and his eyes focused on Legolas' face for one silent moment, and then closed.

"_Adar_!" Legolas cried. The prince's anguished voice rang through the forest.

0o0o0o0

…..._several hours earlier_...

"His Highness, Prince Legolas Thranduillion," the guard announced, and Thranduil looked up to see his son walk in. Legolas walked to the center of the room, and knelt.

" _Suilad, _your majesty."

"Rise, Legolas. _Le suilon_," said Thranduil, and his eyes sparkled as he beheld the son he had missed dearly.

Legolas smiled as he rose, and looked up at his father. "_Im gelir ceni ad lín__, Adar."_

For a moment, the two just stood there, and the advisors in the courtroom quickly stepped out. Thranduil surveyed his son for any sign of injury, and his eyes lingered for a moment on his cloak. Finally, he held out his arms, and Legolas laughed, and ran into his arms, just as he had when he was a tiny elfling.

Thranduil wrapped his arms around his son in a tight embrace. "You will not ever, _ever, _do anything so foolish again." he whispered into his son's hair.

"I will try," Legolas said honestly, and Thranduil had to smile.

Pulling away, Thranduil looked into his son's moist eyes and realised that he too was blinking back tears. He traced the curve of Legolas' cheek with his hand. "I missed you, _ion nin_."

Legolas leaned forward, resting his forehead on his Adar's shoulder, and whispered, "_I know._"

0o0o0o0

…. _a short while later …_..

Legolas and Thranduil were seated in armchairs on either side of the fireplace. The King was sipping his wine, and listening to his son, who was recounting the tale of his adventures.

"...and that was when everything went wrong. Frodo and Sam left us, the Orcs kidnapped Merry and Pippin...and Boromir...he.." Legolas stopped, staring into the flames. "He should not have died," he finally said, quietly.

Legolas looked up when he felt a hand take his. "He was mortal, _penneth. _He would have died someday." Legolas flinched, and pulled his hand away.

"It did not have to be quite so soon," he said.

"No. Perhaps not. But it did not matter when he died. It would still be an eternal parting. The amount of time that a mortal can offer...it will always be too short."

"That is why we must make the most of it, during their short lifetimes..._Ada, _I...I wished to ask you... " he trailed off.

"Yes, _ion nin_?"

Legolas stood, and looked straight at his father. "I wish to start an elven colony in Ithilien."

Blue eyes flashed. "You _what_? Why?"

"The land there is troubled, _Adar. _It will not heal unless we help it, and there are no settlements nearby. If we set up a colony, we can bring it back to life."

"Is that all, Legolas?" The prince looked highly uncomfortable.

"Yes, _Adar._"

"Really?" asked the king, returning to his chair and looking up at his son. His voice now cold. "So I am to understand that this sudden...decision...of yours has nothing to do with the King of Gondor, or a certain son of Gloin?" Legolas winced. He should have known that his father would have heard of this by now. He knelt before his father, and spoke softly.

"I will not deny that I will have a better chance of meeting Lord Elessar, Gimli, and the Hobbits, if I were to live in Ithilien, than in Eryn Lasgalen, nor will I deny that I am glad it is so. However, more importantly, Lord Faramir has been appointed Prince of Ithilien, and he believes that establishing an elven colony there would do well to banish the residue of the shadow." Legolas looked up pleadingly at

his father. "Please, _ada_?"

The king sat statue-like, observing his only child. His blue eyes were devoid of any emotion. Legolas stifled the urge to shudder. When his father looked as he did on the eighteenth day of trade negotiations, while conversing with his son, it boded ill. For everyone. Legolas remained on his knees, waiting for his father to speak. "I will discuss the formation of an elven colony in Ithilien tomorrow during the council meeting," he said, at last. "If enough elves are willing to move to Ithilien, it might be quite profitable. Relations with Gondor would be better, at the very least." The king paused, and his eyes seemed a little thoughtful, yet they were still distant. "Tuillin may perhaps be willing to lead the colony."

"NO!" Legolas was on his feet in an instant. His own blue eyes held unconcealed fury. "Ada, I wish to lead the colony!"

"You have no control over the wishes of the council, or your king."

"The council would agree with me! All they would need is an elf willing to accept the position, and who is capable of leading a young settlement! As I am already friends with Aragorn and Faramir, it would be best if I were to go!" Legolas' voice rose.

"You assume that you would be fit for the position!" Thranduil thundered. He too had risen to his feet.

"I do!" yelled the enraged prince.

"Then let me assure you that you are not a suitable candidate! You have far more responsibilities than gallivanting off to be amongst mortals! Your duty lies with your people, here, and to me, your king. Or have you forgotten that?"

Legolas took a deep breath. He was beyond furious, but that would do him no good. "Adar, I will always take my duties as Prince of Eryn Lasgalen seriously. I would never choose a path that may bring harm to our kingdom. Yet you have little use for me now that Sauron has been overthrown. The shadow is gone, and already the spiders and the orcs are disappearing. I have not been captain of a patrol for quite a while now, and there is little need for me to-our forces could easily banish the few remaining creatures."

"You could take some political duties upon yourself, you need not shy away from them."

"Your councilors and yourself are well suited for such tasks. Besides," he added, "becoming the Lord of Ithilien would _be _a political duty."

"Tuilinn would make a fine leader for a new settlement, and you could better spend your time amongst your people," said Thranduil.

The prince looked a little shocked, and then understanding dawned on his face. His voice was cold. "That is what this is about, isn't it? It's because they're mortal."

"Don't be ridiculous. I just believe there are better things you can do with your time," said the king, but he sounded unconvincing to even his own ears.

"I never thought..Faramir, Aragorn, Eowyn..._Arwen_...they're _mortal. _All the more reason for me to spend some time with them...now." He looked up at his father pleadingly. "_Please, _Adar. They are my _friends_." Legolas looked up at his father with pleading eyes. "I will not disappoint you."

"No. I refuse to send you. I will send anyone else-not you."

"Adar-"

"No! As your king, I forbid you to to continue this discussion. You will speak no more of this matter. You are dismissed."

Legolas stood frozen in shock. He opened his mouth, then closed it with great effort. A few moments passed before he could collect himself enough to bow to his father. "Very well, my liege. I...I bid you farewell." Thranduil would have waved him off if he hadn't noticed the strange tone of his son's voice, or his choice of words.

"Farewell?"

"By your leave, your majesty, I will be leaving for Gondor in the morning."

"For Gondor."The king echoed, eyes boring into his son.

"I believe I will help King Elessar in any way I can, as a friend, and not as a representative of the Woodland kingdom."

"You will do no such thing!"

"Forgive me, my lord, but I have little reason to remain here. I will prove more useful in Gondor."

Thranduil's infamous temper finally reached it's limits. "You will do no such thing, Legolas Thranduillion! I will not let my son fraternize with mortals!"

"Forgive me my lord. If that is so, I am afraid that I... I will be _your son_ no longer." Blue eyes flashed at his fath-his _king's _eyes, before he turned, and swept out of the room.

0o0o0o0

"...and so that will mean that everything was entirely Adar's fault, and no matter how hard I tried, I could not keep Legolas from following Estel and Mithrandir on that hare-brained quest! Thranduil will have to accept that!" the dark haired elf smiled at his scowling twin. Someone snorted, and the twins turned on their horses to see Glorfindel, their father's seneschal ride up to them.

"Elladan, nothing you do or say will convince the Elvenking that you did not send his son on a dangerous quest to Mordor, in the company of halflings, two humans, a Maiar, and a _dwarf, _because you _did._" Glorfindel did not look remotely saddened by the fact that his lord and his two sons would most possibly lose their lives at the hands of an enraged Elvenking. He was smiling happily at Elladan's expression.

"Perhaps he is right, Elladan came another voice from behind them. But I for my part _will _mention that Glorfindel was quite pleased with my decision, and went out of his way to convince the few elves who believed that a more..._experienced _elf should be chosen for the quest, that Legolas was the _perfect _choice."

Glorfindel whirled around. "You wouldn't!" he cried, and Asfaloth whinnied in agreement. The elf lord only smiled at his seneschal.

"Wouldn't I?" he asked then glanced the trees. "Perhaps they would, Glorfindel." Glorfindel glared at Elrond.

"Peace, friends." Elrohir said, finally, breaking the staring match between his father and his advisor. He continued "Besides. Legolas is probably explaining away the situation right now, so perhaps by the time we get there, the King would be ready to forgive us?" he looked at the disbelieving looks his words received.

"Well, at least he would see that the idiot made it back in one peace so there's no need to be too hard on us." An acorn knocked him on the head, causing him to exclaim, "Forgive me, he isn't an idiot!" and the trees quivered with silent laughter as Elladan and Glorfindel cracked up. Elrohir glared at the two elves. "I hope he _does _kill you...I'll even suggest it," he said viciously, before urging his horse to move ahead of the others.

0o0o0o0

To be continued.

Thank you for reading! If anyone would like to beta read for me, I would be eternally grateful! Please review.


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